ASUS XG27UCG Review: 4K 160Hz Dual Mode IPS Gaming Monitor

The ASUS XG27UCG is a 27″ 4K 160Hz IPS gaming monitor that can switch to 1080p 320Hz mode with a few clicks of a button! Here’s everything you need to know about it.

Image Quality

The 4K UHD resolution on a 27″ screen provides you with a high pixel density of 163 PPI (pixels per inch), which results in exceptional image quality with sharp details and text, as well as plenty of screen real estate.

However, you will need to use scaling to make small text readable. This means you’ll have less screen space, but the details will still be crystal clear.

In the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu, you can enable the Frame Rate Boost option, which will switch the monitor to its 1920×1080 320Hz mode.

Now, the 1080p resolution has much lower pixel density on 27″ monitors – 81 PPI, so the image won’t be as sharp. Further, since the monitor is displaying a non-native resolution, it will be a bit blurry. However, this isn’t that noticeable in games, which is the only reason you’ll be using this mode anyway.

Unfortunately, the ASUS XG27UCG doesn’t support integer scaling, which would’ve made the image a bit less blurry at 1080p.

Since 1080p is significantly less taxing on your GPU than 4K UHD, it allows for higher frame rates. So, you can use the 1080p 320Hz mode for fast-paced competitive titles, and the 4K 160Hz mode for more graphically-oriented games, watching videos, office-related work, etc.

Moving on, the monitor is based on an IPS panel with 178° wide viewing angles, so the image remains consistent regardless of the angle you’re looking at the screen.

It has a wide color gamut, covering 95% of the DCI-P3 color space (~130% sRGB gamut volume), resulting in vibrant colors. 10-bit color depth is supported via dithering (8-bit + 2-bit FRC) for smooth gradients.

SDR colors will be over-saturated, which some users might prefer, but you can use the sRGB emulation mode to clamp the gamut down to around 100% sRGB for more neutral and accurate colors by selecting ‘sRGB’ under the ‘Color Space’ setting in the OSD menu.

The ASUS ROG Strix XG27UCG also supports HDR10, but since it has only 8 dimming zones and a peak brightness of 400-nits, we recommend disabling HDR. For proper HDR, a display needs either an OLED panel or a full-array local dimming solution with hundreds or thousands of dimming zones.

As expected from an IPS panel display, there’s some IPS glow and the static contrast ratio is only around 1,000:1, so blacks won’t be as deep as that of VA or OLED panels.

Performance

The 160Hz refresh rate is already fast enough to provide an enjoyable fast-paced gaming experience, but 320Hz offers a noticeable boost in motion clarity. Moreover, input latency is halved from around 4ms to 2ms.

Next, the ASUS XG27UCG monitor has a fast pixel response time speed with variable overdrive. At 160Hz, we recommend sticking with the default ’10’ overdrive, while at 320Hz, you should dial it up a bit to around ’16’ for better performance above 160Hz.

Sadly, the overdrive settings don’t change according to the active mode, so you’ll have to manually change it whenever you switch between 1080p and 4K UHD for optimal performance.

While the monitor has a fast pixel response time speed, some minor ghosting is noticeable at 320Hz, which in addition to its somewhat blurry image at 1080p doesn’t provide the best motion clarity.

The ASUS XG27UCG supports ELMB (Extreme Low Motion Blur), which uses backlight strobing to reduce perceived motion blur at the cost of image brightness. It can only be activated at refresh rates higher than 100Hz.

It also has ELMB-Sync support, which allows ELMB and VRR (variable refresh rate) to be used at the same time, but ELMB has much better results. There are also five levels to tune strobe phase and length.

While ELMB offers a notable boost in motion clarity, note that in order to avoid image duplications, your refresh rate should match your frame rate. So, if you can only maintain 240FPS, lower the resolution to 240Hz and cap your frame rate to 240FPS.

VRR is supported with AMD FreeSync Premium and NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible certifications, as well as via HDMI 2.1 VRR, providing you with tear-free gameplay up to 160FPS or 320FPS, depending on the mode selected.

The backlight is flicker-free (unless ELMB is enabled) and there’s a low-blue light filter.

Features

At the rear of the monitor, there’s a directional joystick for quick and easy navigation through the OSD menu. Below it, there are three additional hotkeys (one of which is used for the Dual Mode feature by default) and a power button.

Besides the usual image adjustment tools, such as brightness, contrast and color temperature, the ASUS XG27UCG monitor offers several advanced settings, including sharpness (VividPixel), 6-axis hue/saturation, DSC toggle, automatic input detection and five gamma modes.

Available gaming features include:

• Dynamic crosshair overlays – change colors depending on the background
• Dynamic Shadow Boost – improves visibility in dark scenes without over-brightening the rest of the image
• On-screen timers
• Refresh rate tracker
• Sniper – zooms in the area around your crosshair with optional Night Vision mode available too
• Aspect ratio control – 16:9 (fill up, 24.5″ simulation, full, pixel by pixel) and Square (full, equivalent, pixel by pixel)

You can also use ASUS’ DisplayWidget desktop application for OSD adjustments.

Design & Connectivity

The stand of the monitor is sturdy and offers a good range of ergonomics, including up to 120mm height adjustment, +/- 45° swivel, +/- 90° pivot, -5°/20° tilt and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

There’s also AuraSync RGB lighting at the back, a 1/4″ mounting socket at the top of the stand raiser, a matte anti-glare coating that diffuses reflections and a phone holder groove on the stand.

Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, two HDMI 2.1 ports with full 48 Gbps bandwidth, a USB-C port with DP Alt Mode and 15W Power Delivery, and a headphone jack.

Price & Similar Monitors

The ASUS XG27UCG price ranges from $400 to $450, which is decent considering that similar high refresh rate 27″ 4K IPS monitors without Dual Mode go for a similar price.

However, if you’d rather have a USB-C port with 65W PD and built-in KVM than Dual Mode, check out the MSI MPG274URF-QD for $390 – $430.

Dell also offers a monitor based on the same panel, the Dell Alienware AW2725QF. It’s slightly overclocked to 180Hz at 4K and 360Hz at 1080p, supports integer scaling, has a USB hub, and a bit better HDR support with 24 dimming zones and a 750-nit peak brightness.

However, its image is still somewhat blurry at 1080p, the refresh rate difference isn’t noticeable in real use and its HDR support is still not good enough for a proper HDR viewing experience yet the monitor is more expensive at $500 – $590. So, we find that the XG27UCG offers better value for the money.

Further, there are some exciting upcoming 27″ 4K 160Hz IPS monitors with the 1080p 320Hz Mode and an 1152-zone mini LED FALD backlight, such as the MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M and the Koorui S2741LM.

You should also keep in mind that you can get a 1440p 240Hz OLED gaming monitor in this price range, such as the AOC AG276QZD2.

Even though it has a lower resolution, it offers a better image quality thanks to its OLED panel with infinite contrast ratio, significantly higher brightness and wider color gamut. Its motion performance is also better despite the lower refresh rate due to its instantaneous pixel response time speed.

Conclusion

All in all, the ASUS ROG Strix XG27UCG is an excellent 4K 160Hz IPS gaming monitor. The 1080p 320Hz Dual Mode is a nice addition if you enjoy fast-paced games but aren’t particularly competitive or sensitive to minor ghosting and somewhat blurry image quality.

For just competitive FPS gaming, there are better options in this price range, whereas the ASUS XG27UCG is a great option for mixed-use.

Specifications

Screen Size	27-inch
Resolution	3840×2160 (Ultra HD)
Panel Type	IPS
Aspect Ratio	16:9 (Widescreen)
Refresh Rate	4K 160Hz 1080p 320Hz
Response Time	1ms (GtG)
Motion Blur Reduction	ELMB-Sync
Adaptive-Sync	FreeSync Premium, G-SYNC Compatible, HDMI 2.1 VRR, (48-160Hz, 48-320Hz)
Ports	DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.1 (48 Gbps), USB-C (DP Alt Mode, 15W PD)
Other Ports	Headphone Jack
Brightness	350 cd/m²
Brightness (HDR)	400 cd/m²
Contrast Ratio	1000:1 (static)
Colors	1.07 billion (8-bit + FRC) 95% DCI-P3
HDR	VESA DisplayHDR 400
Local Dimming	Edge-lit 8-zone
VESA	Yes (100x100mm)